The Aomine Event
by Beautiful Thief
Summary: Ryouta's life was firmly divided into Before-Aomine and After-Aomine.
1. Chapter 1

Welp here I go with a multi-chapter fic

Disclaimers about ownership go here and such; have fun.

* * *

Kise Ryouta was in love.

Almost embarrassingly so, actually.

It wasn't _quite_ love at first sight, not _really_, but it was probably as close to it as you can get in this day and age, so Ryouta liked to occasionally wax poetic about it in his head.

* * *

Ryouta's life was firmly divided into Before-Aomine and After-Aomine.

Before-Aomine was everything it implied – it was grey, it was sports without a challenge. It was modelling jobs because there was nothing more interesting to fill the time with. Before-Aomine was a life where Kise Ryouta was not aware that love at first sight was a thing that existed and happened, a life where Kise Ryouta believed that love at first sight was a fairy tale and the way a girl tells herself that she's in love with a boy who she knows nothing about.

Before-Aomine was simple, but Before-Aomine was also just _existing_, existing instead of really living. After-Aomine is the deep blue of the ocean and the brown of the earth and the joy of a sunny summer day.

The Aomine Event – the point at which Ryouta's life burst from boredom and onto its fated course (because, After-Aomine, how could Ryouta believe that their encounter was anything_ but_ fate itself?) – was that day he took a basketball to the head.

It's not _quite_ love at first sight. The boy who's chased after the ball that struck Ryouta is grinning, waving, and taking back the basketball. The boy recognises him, but that was not the point at which Ryouta fell in love. Not until he remembers. _I haven't tried basketball yet_. And, _our school has a really strong basketball team, doesn't it?_ Not until he follows the path of the boy with dark blue hair and tanned skin, and looks into the gym and _sees_.

He is beautiful and fluid and unpredictable on the court, and completely unexpected. He is everything Ryouta has been searching for and dreaming of since his ability to copy and perfect the movements of his teammates and opponents began to shine and make sports boring. Someone unique, someone who he can't copy (Except maybe he could. Maybe. _One day, maybe? _But not now, and probably not for a long time, if he really, truly, ever could).

After-Aomine is a world full of colour and wonder and life in a way Before-Aomine wasn't and never could have been. In the beginning, After-Aomine is whispers of a _Generation of Miracles_ and monsters on the court. After-Aomine is Kuroko Tetsuya, who is the perfect fairy tale hero, the protagonist of every story, the ordinary boy who sacrifices everything, gives his blood, sweat and tears to stand unseen and uncelebrated next to Aomine in the court.

Ryouta loves Kurokocchi, but not in a life-changing, world-defining way like he does Aomine. Ryouta loves Kurokocchi because he _understands_, because the way he looks at Aomine, Ryouta is _sure_ that the little shadow boy, Teiko's sixth who's thought only to be a rumour, loves Aomine just as much as he does.

(He's wrong about that, in the end, but it doesn't matter anyway)

* * *

Ryouta's still not sure what to call the sections of his After-Aomine world; he just knows that there are definable periods of life After-Aomine.

The problem with having a world which is defined by another person is that it is all too easy for that world to become drastically uncontrollable, which is what happens to Ryouta's After-Aomine world; it dives headfirst into what seems like a dark, bottomless cavern as quickly as it soared to its beautiful peak.

During this time, the world doesn't have the same dullness of the grey Before-Aomine. It's not boring like the life Before-Aomine.

And somehow, it makes it hurt so much _deeper_.

Initially, watching Aomine bloom was thrilling and exciting, a time when Ryouta is _sure_ that no matter what happens; he will never reach that incredible pinnacle of achievement and performance that Aomine stands upon. It is inspiring, and even as Ryouta continues to chase the lines of Aomine's back and chase his talent and reach and reach and reach for the place upon which he stands, Ryouta is awestruck and admiring, chanting in his head, _there is no way you can ever reach him_.

And then, just as quickly as his life was rapidly re-routed and redefined that day he first saw Aomine play, Ryouta finds his world plunged into the darkness of Aomine's growing apathy.

The late nights playing one-on-one together stop. Aomine stops coming to practice. Aomine looks on, bored and tired and Ryouta isn't sure whether he wants to scream or sob because he _knows_, he knows what it is to be Aomine and watching and knowing that he is nowhere near able to do anything about it has to be the most heart wrenching and devastating part.

The world After-Aomine still has colours (it has not faded to grey), but somehow the colours are all darker. The most horrifying part of the world After-Aomine where Aomine just doesn't _care_ is that the colours are still there for Ryouta.

Ryouta cannot be the person that Aomine has been for him and it feels like it rips him to shreds, how bad he wants to be that person to bring all the colours back into his life.

He reaches so much and so far and yet, in the end, it's still not him who brings the colour back to Aomine's world. He watches on when Seirin topples Touou, when _Kagamicchi and Kurokocchi beat Aominecchi_, and Ryouta is torn between his reckless, soaring happiness and love because Aomine must surely be seeing all the beautiful colours of their world again now; torn between this, and his crushing disappointment for not being the one who brought them back. Ryouta can't help but resent Kurokocchi and his partner even as he loves them for what they've done, even as he acknowledges Kurokocchi's prior claim to bringing Aomine back.

* * *

"Ki-chan."

Ryouta looked up wearily from his seat. He'd told his team to go ahead, that he had plans to meet someone. He didn't, not really. He just hated the way he was limping everywhere; hated showing that weakness, knowing that it was the reason that Kaijou had lost, the reason that they were going to lose to Shutoku. It was more than he could stand, to let them help him when he was letting them down. He'd just walk at his own pace and take rests when he needed to.

"Momocchi, hey," he greeted her. "Sorry, I'd get up and give you a hug but..."

Momoi frowned. "You should be keeping off that leg," she murmured. "Why don't you have crutches or something?"

"It's not that bad," Ryouta protested.

Momoi didn't look convinced. "I bet you have to stop at every bench for a rest," she accused him. "You're almost worse than Dai-chan, I swear." She pulled out her phone and sent a lightning fast mail before sitting down next to him. "Why didn't you let your team help you?"

Ryouta shrugged. It was a stupid reason, but he was kind of stupid, so it didn't really matter. Either way, he didn't want to tell her.

"I don't have time to babysit you _and_ Dai-chan," she teased. Then she sighed. "I let my eyes off him for a _second_, Ki-chan, and he goes and does something stupid."

Ryouta found his curiosity piqued. "I haven't heard of Aominecchi doing anything outrageous," he offered her. "What did he do?"

She pressed her lips tightly together, but there was an odd pause before she spoke, which Ryouta didn't understand until she spoke.

"He went and punched Haizaki," she told him quietly, "after your game."

Ryouta felt for a moment as if he couldn't _breathe_. "He did _what_."

"His knuckles were all scraped and bruised up too," Momoi griped. "What would he have done if he was banned from playing in tournaments in the future for assaulting another player? He's so _stupid_, Ki-chan. Ah, but he'll probably be really mad that I told you."

Ryouta looked at his feet. "Eh, Aominecchi and I don't really see much of each other, so it probably won't matter," he replied quietly. "And even if it was stupid, I guess I'm kind of horrible, Momocchi, because it makes me so happy that he cares."

They sat in silence for a moment, before Ryouta, feeling uncomfortable with the gaze he felt on him, went to haul himself up.

"No, wait," Momoi cautioned. Ryouta looked at her. "Dai-chan's on his way over," she admitted. "You can't make your way home on your own in this state, Ki-chan."

Ryouta stared. "I can't let him see me like this," he whispered, horrified. "Why would you..."

"Oi, Kise."

Ryouta flinched. "Ah, Aominecchi." It was a weak greeting – Ryouta didn't look to see what expression he was making. "You really didn't have to come, Momocchi worries too much."

Aomine snorted. "Don't talk such shit to me, Kise."

Momoi stood up, a calculating expression on her face. "Dai-chan, you should take Ki-chan to your house tonight. It's closer than sending Ki-chan home."

There was an odd expression on Aomine's face. "Whatever," he grunted. He looked down at Ryouta, and then his legs. The odd expression never left his face, and he sighed before crouching down next to Ryouta.

"Come on then," he said. "We don't have all night."

Ryouta slung an arm around Aomine's shoulders, and let him take his weight off his injured side as they stood together and walked, Momoi walking behind them.

"You really didn't have to," Ryouta said. He wasn't sure if he meant punching Haizaki, or helping him walk.

"Yeah, I did."

Ryouta wasn't sure which one Aomine was responding to, either.

It's embarrassing and humiliating, leaning on Aomine and limping, and trying not to let it show how much it hurts, how much everything hurts. _I wanted to bring that smile to your face_, he thinks. _I wanted to be the one who made you care_.

It's too late now. It always seems to be too late with him; late to pick up basketball, late to begin to unlock his potential, late to paint Aomine's world back in colours instead of shades of grey.

Worst of all, Ryouta is so weak in front of him right now, not even really able to walk properly. It feels like everything burns.

They've been injured before, of course. Prodigies with talents beyond their bodies push their limits because they're stupid and they can't help but try, and Ryouta and Aomine have both picked up plenty of injuries at Teiko. Still, neither one of them has ever been injured like Ryouta is injured now, and he can't help but feel it's yet another failure, another way in which he falls short. It is, after all, the injury that he got initially copying Aomine.

The silence between them feels heavy, though Ryouta's not sure why. Maybe it's because he usually makes attempts at light-hearted conversation, but Ryouta is _tired_. Tired and hurt and feeling more vulnerable than he ever has before. His fingers are fisting in the shoulder of Aomine's shirt, knuckles turning white.

"I think Ki-chan needs to rest again, Dai-chan."

Aomine looks at him and sighs. "You're so troublesome," he mutters. "Just say something if you need it."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that. Will likely put up the next chapter on Sunday, it just needs some editing.


	2. Chapter 2

Sometime after the season has died down, Momoi invites Ryouta out to coffee. They've never really spent all that much time together without Aomine, but Ryouta knows why she's made this contact. He would have tried to refuse, but by the nature of who she is and what she does, she has far too much blackmail material available for Ryouta to risk it.

"Ki-chan."

They're sitting at a table inside towards the back, away from any windows. It would be really uncomfortable to be recognised and have this conversation interrupted; this spot was picked for its relative privacy.

"Please, Momocchi," Ryouta pleads, "I know what you're going to say, and don't."

"Ki-chan." There's pity on her knowing face, and Ryouta knows without a shadow of a doubt she's going to _say it_ and she's going to _make it real_.

"Momocchi." He has to at least try and make her stop.

"You're in love with Dai-chan, aren't you?"

The background roar of voices chattering in the cafe feels like it falls away, and the silence between him and Momoi twists uncomfortably in Ryouta's stomach. He feels sick, sick and scared, and he wants to get up and leave and not answer Momoi's difficult questions. He can avoid asking them of himself so long as he doesn't think about them, so long as he continues to pretend that he doesn't have these feelings for Aomine. He can pretend he's okay and that he's not pathetically, hopelessly hung up and obsessed with Aomine so long as he doesn't think too much about how his life is defined by Aomine's existence in it and so long as nobody _knows_.

Momoi reaches over and her smooth, gentle hands press into the back of Ryouta's around his mug.

It's like a dam has burst. Ryouta doesn't _cry_, but the emotion feels overpowering.

"Yeah." He almost chokes on the word. "Yeah, I am. I have been since the day that basketball hit my head and I saw him play. Momocchi." Ryouta swallows the lump in his throat. "Momocchi, do you believe in fate?"

There's a flicker of surprise on her face, before it settles into a smile. "Well, I don't discount that it could potentially exist," she replies.

"I didn't. Not before that day." Ryouta feels a smile tug at his lips and he pulls away one of his hands so that he can rest an elbow on the table and lean his head into his hand. "Love at first sight, fate, and destiny. I didn't believe in any of it, and then Aominecchi happened, and Momocchi, it felt as if it _had_ to be fate. Momocchi." He almost whispers it – it feels almost sacrilegious to utter it to someone, but he can't stop. "Momocchi, it was love at first sight. Or it might as well have been."

Momoi still has one of his hands firmly in the grip of her own. "Ki-chan," she murmurs, and the pity in her voice kills him. "It'll be okay."

_No it won't_, he wants to tell her, but he doesn't. _It won't because he won't ever look at me like that and I'm not sure if I'll ever love anyone else as much as I love him right now_. _It won't because I can't believe that my life will encounter two people whose mere existence redefines it_.

Ryouta can't bring himself to tell her that. It's not any of her business to know, anyway, even if, inside, he wants to scream it from the rooftops.

* * *

The off-season brings doctor's appointments, a ban on high-impact exercise (Ryouta is still allowed to exercise, thankfully, so long as it's cycling, swimming, or using the cross-trainer, because they're low impact and won't fuck up his leg any worse than it already is), and an opportunity to pick up some modelling jobs again. Also school. Ryouta's grades are pretty awful, if he's honest. He's not very academic, is all, and to maintain even just average grades he needs to work for it. With all the modelling and basketball, he doesn't really have the time. During this period, Ryouta needs to pull up his GPA so he's not kicked off the team.

With all this in mind, Ryouta really doesn't have the time to mope about his feelings for Aomine – he never really has, anyway. It's always been easier to just carry on with life, because loving Aomine is just a fact of Ryouta's existence now.

It is nice to sometimes talk about it with someone, though. It should be weird that he's telling these things to Momoi, who's been Aomine's best friend for so long, but it isn't.

It's during one of their back and forth mailing sessions that Momoi first suggests that Ryouta start seeing someone seriously.

_'I don't have the time for that, Momocchi!'_ Ryouta typed furiously.

_'You can't pine for Dai-chan forever, Ki-chan'_, was her response. '_You need to get out there! Or is the problem that you don't like girls at all?'_

Ryouta liked girls well enough. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that Aomine had kind of barged his way into Ryouta's heart and made it his home and was not inclined to leave (and maybe, just maybe, Ryouta didn't want him to).

_'I'm not gay_,' Ryouta sent. '_I just love Aominecchi. I don't want anyone else.'_

* * *

Ryouta was finally allowed to play basketball again when he and Momoi met up for coffee again one afternoon.

"I'm so excited," he told her, beaming over his mug. "I can _finally_ play again! It feels like it's been so long. I bet everyone else has all gone charging ahead of me while I was sidelined."

Momoi tilted her head. "You haven't missed that much, Ki-chan," she promised him. "It's the off-season. Everyone's toned down training. Don't push yourself too hard thinking that you're falling behind."

Ryouta smiled at her. "I'll try Momocchi, but I can't make any promises. Kaijou _will_ win this year."

Momoi smiled back at him. "It is not impossible, if it's Ki-chan," she tells him, "but I think this year it will be us."

Momoi fiddled with her mug. "Ki-chan, I want to be honest," she said after a moment. "I had a reason to ask you to come out and talk with me today."

"You usually always do," Ryouta pointed out.

She took a deep breath before speaking. "Dai-chan has been seeing some people."

Ryouta paused for a moment before responding.

"Aominecchi is very good looking," Ryouta finally replied, quietly. "He's the star player of a very strong basketball team. It doesn't come as any surprise to me that he's been sought out by girls. And knowing Aominecchi, it doesn't surprise me that he's going out with some of them either. Girls probably don't stay with him very long, do they? Aominecchi's personality can be really terrible."

"You're not upset?" she asked. "I didn't want you to find out by accident or something."

Ryouta smiled again. "I'm fine."

He was also lying through his teeth, and Momoi didn't look convinced. But Ryouta has known for as long as he's been in love with Aomine that this would happen, because Aomine likes girls, and has made absolutely no secret of it.

* * *

Ryouta didn't usually pay too much attention to the rumours that circulated within the industry about the sexual preferences of the people he worked with. It had always seemed so petty. However, it was during this time that Ryouta heard about Kagawa Haruto.

He was built a little heavier than Aomine, and had brown hair and kind eyes. Rumours said he was a swimmer, and when they worked together for a promotion on some sports-associated brand or other, Ryouta could believe it.

Rumours also said he was gay, which Ryouta didn't pay much mind to until between shots, when he found himself being flirted with, and found himself easily flirting back. Ryouta is vain, and it's really not his best personality trait, but he enjoys having other people's attention, and it's somehow soothing to have _someone's_ attention, even if it isn't the person whose attention he really wants.

It probably wasn't the _best_ move of his career to go with him for coffee afterward, what with how his agent despaired over the industry rumours that almost immediately popped up afterward which said Ryouta was gay too, but it was nice. His new friend sort of understood what Ryouta was going through in regards to his feelings about Aomine.

Though, he really should have known that Momoi would have a keen ear out for rumours about him.

'_Kagawa-san's really cute_,' she sent him a message saying the next day. '_I approve. Would you like me to find any information about him?'_

'_Stop pushing me to see people, Momocchi!'_ was his response, though he added in some emotes so that she wouldn't think he was angry. '_Although, if you could find out if he's got any diseases, it would be nice_...'

Later that evening, he received a message from Momoi informing him that his new friend did not, in fact, have any diseases (nor did any of Kagawa's known previous partners).

* * *

It was a coincidence when Ryouta, who'd wanted to show off a little to Kagawa by throwing a few of Midorima's three-pointers (which was probably the skill most impressive to those uninitiated in the ways of basketball), ran into Aomine on a street court.

"Aominecchi!" Ryouta greeted, waving his free hand while rapidly unwinding the other from where it had held onto his friend's arm.

Aomine looked over, and for a moment seemed somewhat bemused. "Kise," he said, nodding. "Who's that?"

"Ah, this is my friend from work, Kagawa Haruto," Ryouta told him. "I was going to throw a few threes. He doesn't know much about basketball, so I thought that would be the coolest! But ah, Aominecchi's basketball is amazing, so maybe we can go one on one?"

Aomine shot him a lazy smile. "Don't think I'll go easy on you because you want to impress your friend here," he said. "I'm not going to let you win."

"I would never want you to," Ryouta fired back.

All things considered, Ryouta didn't do _too_ badly. Aomine was still better than him, but he won a few points here and there.

"I don't know anything about basketball," Kagawa said, "but that looked really intense."

"It was," Ryouta admitted, flopping down onto the bench he was sitting on. "Ah, I'm all sweaty now. I'm going to have to shower if we're going to get dinner."

"You didn't show him Midorima's threes," Aomine pointed out. His smile had a teasing edge.

"I'm too tired now to throw those ridiculous shots," Ryouta whined in response. "Next time. They're really amazing! Though, I don't think they're as amazing as Aominecchi's basketball style. It's really amazing, isn't it?"

(Ryouta didn't notice, but Aomine's face reddened. Kagawa, however, did, and Ryouta found that instead of going out to dinner, he and Kagawa ended up in his bed.)

* * *

Ryouta continued to fool around with Kagawa.

And then, the new season started.

* * *

Ryouta was surprised when Aomine came along to one of his and Momoi's coffee dates.

"Sorry, Ki-chan," she whispered when she hugged him. "He seemed really set on coming after I told him I was meeting you."

"How have you been, Momocchi?" he asked as they parted.

"I've been alright. How about you? How's Kagawa-san?"

Ryouta pouted as they sat at their usual table. "I haven't been able to see him much," he whined. "We're both so busy with school and training and work." He chanced a peek at Aomine, who seemed very interested in the menu. Why was he here, anyway?

"That sucks, Ki-chan," Momoi sympathised. She looked at Aomine too.

"He didn't seem like anything special," Aomine muttered. Momoi and Ryouta looked at him more openly, startled.

"You didn't tell me he met Dai-chan! He hasn't even met _me_, why did you introduce Dai-chan to him first!"

"Ah, well, it was an accident," Ryouta told her, his cheeks burning. "I just wanted to show off a bit on the court and Aominecchi was there..."

Momoi shot a dirty look at Aomine. "How could you not tell me?" she asked him, accusingly. "Ki-chan's so _secretive_ about him. I've been _dying_ for some real details!"

Aomine shrugged, looking surly.

"We're going to play basketball later." It was an order rather than a request.

Momoi rolled her eyes.

* * *

So, there's chapter 2. I've settled on 4 chapters (the last one will be longer than all the others, but it doesn't make sense to go to 5 chapters.

Hope you enjoyed, and such.


	3. Chapter 3

So here's the third chapter. Almost at the end now - only one more chapter to go after this one.

* * *

With all his commitments, Ryouta didn't see Momoi or Aomine in person again until the Interhigh. He'd invited Kagawa along to watch his games, but apparently he was too busy with his own competitions and work to come.

"I really wanted to show him how awesome Kaijou is," he complained to Momoi one afternoon in which neither Kaijou nor Touou was playing. "I know we're not _together_ together, and I know he's busy, but I'm busy too, and _I_ went to go see _him_ at one of _his_ tournaments."

Momoi giggled. "You're being a bit silly, Ki-chan," she told him. "Basketball games are long. Did you stay for the whole day at his tournament?"

"No," Ryouta admitted. "He said that it was a given that he'd be in the finals so I should just come for that. I had training in the morning anyway..."

Ryouta jumped as a tanned arm slung itself around his shoulders.

"Are you talking about that guy again?" Aomine asked.

"Ki-chan was complaining because he's too busy to come and watch Ki-chan play," Momoi said. Ryouta flushed. Every time his friend was brought up around Aomine, he felt guilty.

_We're not dating_, he kept telling himself. _I love him, but he doesn't love me and we're not dating._

"Well, if you ask _me_..."

"No one asked you, Dai-chan," Momoi butted in. He shot her a dirty look before continuing.

"If you ask me, you're better off with someone who'll come and watch you and shit, even if they don't get it. Basketball's pretty important to you, yeah?"

"We're not _really_ dating," Ryouta mumbled. This was a terrifically awkward conversation to have with Aomine, somehow. "We're not exclusive or anything. He's under no obligation to come as... as a _boyfriend_ or something, because that's not what we are."

Aomine raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with him?"

Momoi laughed, and he looked at her. "There's nothing wrong with Kagawa-san. Ki-chan has... _extenuating circumstances_. Isn't that right, Ki-chan?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Ryouta answered, squirming uncomfortably beneath Aomine's heavy arm. "Can we not talk about this?"

Aomine looked like he wanted to make Ryouta squirm some more. He still recognised that look from junior high, when Aomine had picked on him. He swiftly disengaged and stepped away.

"What does Satsuki mean by extenuating circumstances?" Aomine asked. "Kise?"

Ryouta forced a laugh out, but it sounded ugly, so he stopped. "It's really not important," he said.

_It's just that I'm completely and hopelessly in love with you, so much so that my life is divided into the time before I saw you and everything that came after._

"I don't believe you," Aomine answered. Momoi looked worried.

"You don't have to," Ryouta told him, false cheer dripping from his words as he stepped away. "I'll see you in our next game, Aominecchi!"

He all but ran from the two of them. He sent Momoi a mail when he was a safe distance away.

'_Sorry we didn't get coffee, Momocchi,_' He sent. '_It feels really weird talking about Kagawacchi with Aominecchi.'_

'_It's okay, Ki-chan_', she answered. _'Good luck with your game tomorrow – we'll face you on the court soon!'_

Kaijou and Touou met in the semi-finals of the Interhigh that year.

They went into overtime before the winner finally came out.

Ryouta later heard that Midorima had gloated to Aomine in his own special way about how Ryouta had beaten him using his threes.

Ryouta supposed Aomine had kind of had it coming after last year's phone call with Midorima after losing to Kuroko and Kagami.

"Kagawacchi, my team's going to the Interhigh finals!" Ryouta cheered over the phone. He was lingering at the back of his team's procession out of the building. "Will you come watch the final? Please say you'll come and watch!"

The voice over the phone sighed. Ryouta tried not to let his smile waver – he knew what was coming, but why was it so disappointing?

"_You know I can't come, it'll simply take far too long. I have practice and studies to do on my days off, you know._"

Ryouta forced a laugh – Kagawa didn't know him nearly well enough to know the difference between them.  
"Ah, you're so dedicated," he said. "That's probably why you manage to have good grades while working and swimming. It's okay! Maybe you'll come see the Winter Cup; they say it'll be bigger than the Interhigh this year. Anyway, I should get off the phone! I'll talk to you later."

Ryouta ended the call quickly, and he was sure Kagawa would know he was upset just by the way he hung up, but he didn't care. _He'd_ taken the time to go and see Kagawa compete – why couldn't he watch Ryouta play? It wasn't that Ryouta loved him, but he did _like_ him, at least a little bit. He wouldn't fool around with him if he didn't. He'd thought Kagawa would care at least a _little_... enough to come watch him play in a _national level competition_. God, Ryouta probably wouldn't be able to count the number of girls who would do anything for him to invite them to watch him play.

"Oi, Kise."

Ryouta flinched. _How long has he been following me?_

"Aominecchi! Ah, that was a good game. I didn't think you'd want to see me, since you lost."

"Don't be stupid, pretty boy." The two of them paused – Ryouta waved his team ahead. "Don't you of all people know it's better if you have to work for it?"

Ryouta grinned, but it quickly faded as he noticed Aomine's expression. He seemed to be trying _too_ hard to be casual. "What's on your mind, Aominecchi?"

"Was that... that guy? He's not going to watch you play the final?"

Ah. He'd been there long enough to hear_ that_. Ryouta turned away, though he looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"Kagawacchi is really busy," he said, forcing as much cheer into his voice as possible. "It's to be expected that he can't come. Besides, like I told you, we're not like that."

"Don't make that face," Aomine grumbled. "I know you're lying to me when you make that face. It's fake, like in your pictures."

Ryouta froze. Shit. _Shit_.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ryouta said. He looked away as he said it.

Aomine was silent for a moment. Ryouta bit the inside of his cheek and glanced back.

"I'll be watching, tomorrow," Aomine promised.

Ryouta couldn't remember a time in his life when he wanted to run away from Aomine more than at this moment. He was staring over his shoulder at Aomine, and Aomine's strange, soft expression. Was that really Aomine, standing there? Had he hit his head and started hallucinating? Had he fallen asleep, exhausted, in the locker room and was now dreaming?

"You're staring, Kise," Aomine pointed out. Ryouta felt as if his whole face was on fire.

"I didn't think you could say such embarrassing things, Aominecchi," Ryouta said, feeling flustered. "I should really go catch up with my team..."

And with that, Ryouta ran. Maybe he'd be able to catch up with the team before the bus left.

"I don't have the time to think about this," he mumbled to himself. "I'll ask Momocchi after the final."

Akashi sticks to Ryouta like a frustrating, annoying little burr all through the final match. It makes him grind his teeth a little – Ryouta could probably blow right through him using his copy, but the time limitation of it means that he has to be careful when he uses it. He knows from personal experience that Aomine's style is the hardest for Akashi to foresee, and he knows that if he tries for one of Midorima's threes, Akashi will knock him back on his ass in a flash because it takes too bloody long to fire.

All in all, it's incredibly frustrating to play against Akashi, and Kaijou is good, but Rakuzan has three Uncrowned Kings who are thirsty for their last year's title wins, and there's only one Ryouta on his team. The rest of Kaijou tries, and they work _so hard_, but they're not geniuses like on Rakuzan's line up.

Still, the loss stings bitterly – Ryouta can't help but wonder if maybe Aomine would have beaten Akashi. He's tempted to go and ask, but he's tired and he still doesn't know what to think about that look that Aomine gave him last time they met.

His phone has no messages, and Ryouta doesn't have the heart to text Kagawa to tell him that he lost. Not yet. That information will have to come with an additional comment about how it was just as well that he didn't come, and everything just feels so raw.

When he leaves the locker room with the rest of a very quiet Kaijou, he text Momoi.

'_We should meet up for coffee soon_', is all he has the courage to send.

Thankfully, both he and Momoi find the time to meet up within the week. Summer break and training camps will be starting soon, and then they'll not have the time for anything.

"You want to talk about something, Ki-chan?" Momoi asks as they settle into their usual table towards the back of the cafe.

Ryouta nods, but the words are somehow difficult to come out, and so they order and sit in silence while he wrestles with himself.

"Has Aominecchi been... weird, lately?" he asks, finally.

She looks thoughtful. "Dai-chan... no, he's pretty much just been the usual Dai-chan," she says, smiling. "He's been going to practice, though."

Maybe it was all in his head? Ryouta fiddled with his earring and frowned. "He... maybe I'm reading too much into it," he muttered. She looked over at him, curious.

"What might you be reading too much into?" she asked. "You know the more information I have, the more accurate I can be. Dai-chan is no exception."

He sighed and looked at the ceiling. This was somehow embarrassing. "Well, you know, after the semi-final, he came over while I was on the phone with Kagawacchi. Apparently he overheard the part of the conversation where he said he couldn't come to the final. And then when I said that was expected, he was like, 'don't make that face I know you're lying' or something and then... there was a weird look on his face, Momocchi, I've never seen it before. And then he said he'd be watching the final, and it just... it was _weird_, Momocchi."

Momoi had looked more and more pensive as Ryouta had continued to speak. "Dai-chan's usually pretty easy to figure out," she mused. "He's fairly straightforward. I mean, we were playing that day, so of course he was going to be watching, but... with the context. Hmm."

There was a comfortable silence between them as Momoi puzzled over the information. Finally, she seemed to settle on something, although she didn't seem to have everything resolved.

"I don't have enough information to be able to come to a solid conclusion," she told Ryouta. She was frowning. "But I'll help you figure it out, Ki-chan. How are things with Kagawa-san, anyway?"

Ryouta sighed. "A little strained," he admitted. "I'm more bitter than I thought I would be that he wouldn't come watch the Interhigh games. Aominecchi was kind of right when he said basketball is really important to me."

Momoi smiled sympathetically. "Are you gonna stop what you've got going? I know your agent is pretty keen to have you seen with one of those cute model girls over the summer."

The blonde smiled at that, and laughed. "I don't know how you know that, but yeah, she is. Ah, maybe things will be simpler, with a cute girlfriend." He leaned his head against his palm and sighed. "But I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't think I'm going to stop being in love with Aominecchi any time soon. It's not right to lead a girl on."

"You're a good person, Ki-chan," Momoi said, smiling. "You and I have been dealt a very cruel hand, being stuck with Dai-chan."

She stood up, finished with her drink. "Be careful at camp, Ki-chan. I've got your likelihood of incurring injury at fairly high at the moment. I'm hoping that you won't do something stupid if I tell you it'll happen. I don't trust whoever's supposed to be looking out for you at your school after last year's overtraining debacle."

Momoi sniffed, as if she held whoever had missed his overtraining and resulting injury in complete contempt. She likely did, Ryouta imagined. She had probably seen it happening ages away.

"Take care, Momocchi," he replied, smiling. "Say hi to Aominecchi for me."

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to complete this before I leave for Europe for a month next week, so, I'll likely post the last chapter by no later than next Friday.


	4. Chapter 4

The last chapter! Thank you to everyone who has favourited, reviewed and followed this fic. I really hope you enjoyed it!

* * *

Ryouta stops seeing Kagawa – it's easier than he thought to put an end to things. Kagawa looks like he wants to say something as they say their goodbyes, but in the end he doesn't.

Summer training camp is intense, but Ryouta tries to keep in mind Momoi's warning about overdoing things. Now that he's so close to everyone, now that he's pretty much caught up, he doesn't have the same kind of desperation to his training, and it's easier than expected to stop before he pushes too far.

He supposes he's figured out some of his limits, and he smiles. It would have been better to figure them out _without_ sustaining the injury last year.

After camp, the summer holiday is spent on street courts and doing cardio and strength workouts at his nearby gym, when he's not modelling or out with a rising star model. They're playing out a sweet summer romance story in the interests of keeping rumours about his sexuality down to a minimum, and also to raise her profile. It's a career move for both him and the girl, but Suzuki-chan is quite friendly, so Ryouta doesn't mind so much. They're seen out and about a lot. Suzuki-chan is tall for a girl, as is usual for models, but she doesn't come close to Ryouta's height. Her black hair falls in pretty waves and she has nice warm brown eyes. She isn't in any school clubs; she prefers to devote her spare time to her career. She's also quite smart, so Ryouta is more surprised than he should be when she brings up basketball.

"Well," she admits as they get ice cream after a lunch date one sweltering afternoon, "I did a bit of research before the first time we went out in case things were awkward. I thought you probably wouldn't want to bring up basketball yourself, and we might get stuck for conversation, so... you're very impressive, Kise-kun. I saw a few videos of your semi-final and final matches for this year's Interhigh."

Ryouta grins. It's probably a bit shameless of him, but it feels so _nice_ sometimes to be acknowledged for the prodigy that he is.

"Thank you, Suzuki-chan," he replies. "Ah, but I still think that Aominecchi is much more impressive than I am."

Suzuki-chan nods. If she's done her research, as she said, she must at least be familiar with the names and the commonly-known history of the Generation of Miracles. "Aomine Daiki, right?" she clarifies, just in case. "You seem quite close with him. You looked like you enjoyed playing against him."

"Ah, I respect Aominecchi's talent," Ryouta says. _Also, I'm stupidly in love with him_. "He inspired me to play basketball, you know! And we played a lot together when we were at Teikou. I never beat him until this year, though." He smiled, thinking back to all the times he'd pitted himself against Aomine again and again.

Suzuki-chan seemed to regard him closely for a moment, and then smiled. "You like Aomine-san a lot, don't you? Now I think I understand why you were so clear about the rules of this relationship."

Ryouta felt his cheeks heat up. "Ah... no... I mean, that's not..."

She clasped the hand closest to her, and smiled up at him. "I probably could have fallen in love with the gentlemanly Kise-kun," she said. "So it's a shame that Kise-kun is so in love with Aomine-san. I'm glad, though, that you warned me that this would end with the summer."

It was probably a terrible thing to do, but with the sweetness of her acceptance and honesty, and the context of the staged date that they were on, Ryouta couldn't help it. He leaned down a little, somewhat thankful for her height, and kissed her gently.

"The man who marries you, Suzuki-chan, will be very lucky," he told her with a smile.

"Oh, I know," she replies, smiling in return.

* * *

Sometime before the summer ends, Ryouta finds himself playing on a street court during his limited free time. He's playing an imaginary game when he hears a familiar call.

"Oi, Kise."

He finishes his shot without pausing (he's quite proud of that, actually), before he turns towards the gap in the fencing. "Aominecchi," he returns. His heart feels the familiar squeeze – Aomine is a little bit in need of a haircut, but it's kind of adorable, and he's still in as good shape as he always is. He smiles, and goes to pick up his thrown basketball. "What's up?"

Aomine shrugs, slinging his bag to join Ryouta's. "I was kind of hoping you'd be here," he admitted. "Kagami's off in America with his family for the rest of the summer break, so there's no one interesting to play at the courts near home."

Ryouta pouts. "I feel like I should be insulted," he whines. "You pick Kagamicchi over me."

Aomine's walked over closer now, and he cuffs the back of Ryouta's head. "Stupid," he said, but it's a fond tone he used. "I'm just lazy. You should know that by now. It takes longer to get here, and you're out and about a lot. It's a waste of my time to hang out here." Aomine's expression is petulant as he adds, "I had to get Satsuki to tell me when you were going to be here."

Ryouta laughs, and lobs the basketball at Aomine. "I must be getting predictable," he says.

Aomine shrugs, and throws the basketball at the hoop. Ryouta can't help the twinge of envy as the effortless shot finds its mark easily. "She says that she wishes things could be different for you and that chick you're with." Aomine looks at him. "I don't quite get what she means by that, though."

Ryouta's communication with Momoi has been regrettably sparse. He's been a little flaky this summer – he'll have to apologise to her.

"Ah, Suzuki-chan and I are just together for the summer," he explains as Aomine jogs to fetch the basketball, and throws it back to him. "It's just a career thing. She's really nice, though. If things were different... ah, it doesn't matter."

Aomine frowns. Ryouta makes a shot. It's not quite as smooth as Aomine's, but that's okay. "Did you want to play one-on-one?" Ryouta asks as he fetches the ball again.

"Why else would I come all the way out here?" Aomine asks. Ryouta passes him the ball, and they both settle into familiar stances.

"It's not _that_ far, Aominecchi," Ryouta grumbles, and then they start, and they don't speak except to make jibes at each other when they win points.

They're both sweating and breathing heavily when they come to a stop. Ryouta's pretty sure Aomine won more than he did, but that's alright. He slumps back against the bench and fishes a water bottle from his bag.

"So, your girlfriend is cute," Aomine comments as he sits himself down next to Ryouta. Ryouta looks at him.

"Ah... yeah. Why do you keep bringing up Suzuki-chan, Aominecchi?"

Aomine shrugs. "It's just, what happened to that guy?"

Ryouta sighs, tipping his head back against the fence to look at the sky. "Kagawa and I... we were never together. We had some things in common, and he was really nice, and he understood the situation with me, and the sex was good." Ryouta flashed a grin at Aomine before continuing. "But you were right, you know, Aominecchi. Basketball's really important to me."

Aomine, thankfully, didn't seem disgusted by Ryouta admitting to sleeping with another guy. He'd been okay with the abstract idea of Ryouta with another man, but sometimes people could be funny when they couldn't deny such things in their mind.

"He wasn't good enough for you," Aomine said. His voice was gruff, and he didn't look at Ryouta as he said it.

"I don't know," Ryouta mused. "It takes a special kind of person to hang around when they're told that someone can't love you because they're in love with someone else, Aominecchi."

Oops. Ryouta went pink and looked at Aomine from the corner of his eyes. Aomine was very still, and frowning.

"Is that what Satsuki meant by extenuating circumstances, that time?" he asked. His words came slowly, as if he was wary about the area their conversation had turned to. Ryouta wasn't sure why, since this was hardly a divergence from their conversation about his relationship with Kagawa.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"I knew it was important," Aomine grumbled.

"Yeah," Ryouta replied again, a smile tugging at his mouth.

He half expected Aomine to ask who it was, but he didn't. Ryouta wasn't even sure if he'd know what to say if he did ask.

Finally, Aomine pulled himself to his feet and slung his bag over his shoulder.

"You should mail Satsuki," he said. "She worries about you."

Ryouta nodded. "I'll try and remember," he promised. "You can mail me too, you know, Aominecchi, any time you want a game."

Aomine nodded, and turned away with a wave. "Bye, Kise."

It wasn't until Ryouta pulled himself to his feet that he realised he hadn't asked if Aomine was seeing anyone.

* * *

When he got home, he texted Momoi.

'_Aominecchi came to play with me today,' _he sends.

'_I thought that's where he might be,_' is her quick-fire response. '_He wasn't at any of his usual courts. He's been a little grumpy lately._'

'_Is it because Kagamicchi is off in America?_'

'_No, it predates Kagamin's departure_,' is Momoi's response. _'I think I know what it might be, but I'm not entirely sure. Sometimes Dai-chan is difficult_.'

Ryouta laughed. '_Sometimes?_ _Anyway, we had a chat about Kagawa-kun and Suzuki-chan. I may have accidentally let slip that my extenuating circumstances are that I'm in love with someone._'

Momoi takes a moment to respond to this message. While he waits for her response, he busies himself checking his schedule. He has his last date with Suzuki-chan tomorrow – summer is ending soon. Ryouta looks at his unfinished homework with a feeling of dread, and sighs, before turning back to his phone.

Momoi still hasn't responded. Ryouta settles down to make a start on his summer homework.

He falls asleep in the middle of his English homework and wakes up an hour later and there's still no answer.

* * *

"I guess this will be our last date, huh?"

They're sitting in a nice restaurant. Suzuki-chan looks particularly lovely in a conservative red dress and her hair half up, half down and spiralling around her shoulders. Ryouta really wishes, when she's comfortable and looking soft and beautiful, that he could move past how much he loves Aomine.

Suzuki-chan smiles at him kindly. "Yes," she says simply.

It's a quiet dinner. The silence hangs uncomfortably between them, and Ryouta has the sudden realisation that this is potentially the future of his love life. Quiet, uncomfortable dates with people he wishes he could love, but ultimately can't.

It makes him angry and upset, but actually confronting this will have to wait until he gets home, because he's pretty sure if he thinks about it for one more minute, he will actually cry, and crying on his last date with Suzuki-chan is unfair to her, not to mention incredibly embarrassing for him. She's really been good to him; understanding, kind and cheerful. He's had fun spending time with her.

He grins and catches one of her hands to grab her attention.

"I can't think of anyone who would have been better to fake date this summer," he tells her. "You are an exceptional young lady, Suzuki-chan."

She laughs. "You're too much, Kise-kun."

After he drops her off at home with a kiss on her cheek later that night, Ryouta flops on the bed, and opens up his phone. There's a message from Aomine.

He can't help but smile.

'_Wanna go one-on-one tomorrow?_'

* * *

Ryouta was up bright and early the next morning, despite his late night. He's feeling pretty cheerful, all things considered – he should probably be pretending to mope when he's outside, but he really just can't.

_I'm going to see Aominecchi today_, he thought, and a smile came unbidden to his face.

When he thought about it, Ryouta couldn't remember the last time that he'd been really happy when seeing Aomine. When he was injured, he was feeling down, and like a failure. After that, he started the thing with Kagawa, and then with Suzuki, and the interactions with Aomine then were tinged with feelings of guilt.

Ryouta had no one in his life but Aomine now, and even though maybe Aomine didn't love him, at this moment Aomine wanted to be with him even if it was just to play basketball, and that was enough to make Ryouta happy.

So it was with a cheerful smile and a basketball that Ryouta left the house.

Aomine was already there when he arrived, playing against invisible defenders, moving gracefully and powerfully. Ryouta couldn't help but be captivated by the way he moved, even now. Even having stopped putting Aomine on a pedestal where he admired him from afar and convinced himself he could never reach him and be his equal, Ryouta respected the way Aomine moved on the court. He had to – he knew the kind of power and delicacy that the movements Aomine made could put a dreadful strain on the body.

"Ah, Kise. Took you long enough."

Ryouta squawked indignantly. "You're the one who's early, Aominecchi! I would never be late to play one on one!"

Aomine was smiling as he turned to look at him. "Yeah, yeah, pretty boy. Put your things down and get out here already."

Ryouta checked his phone quickly. He had a message from Momoi – when had he received that? He hadn't heard it go off.

'_You can trust Dai-chan,'_ was all it enigmatically read. He chucked it back into his bag and settled his ball on top of the bag.

"Hurry up," Aomine complained.

"You're really impatient today, Aominecchi," Ryouta answered, laughing. "What's the rush? It's not like _you_ care if you finish your summer homework."

Aomine just fixed him with an angry look, and Ryouta hurried out. "Okay, okay."

Their game that day felt somehow extra intense. Ryouta fell over after their last point.

"I give," he gasped. "You're being brutal today, Aominecchi."

Having said that, he'd given as good as he'd taken. Aomine was breathing hard and covered in sweat, and he looked incredibly pleased with a small grin on his face.

"Ah, that was good," Aomine replied, sitting down next to Ryouta. "You've been slacking over summer, Kise."

"I've been busy," he huffed. "Some of us don't get to live and breathe basketball, as much as we would love to."

Aomine looked at him. "Hmm. I suppose."

They were quiet for a moment as they caught their breath.

"Hey, Kise."

Kise sat up and looked at Aomine. "Yeah, Aominecchi?"

"You said you're in love with someone."

"That's right," he confirmed, suddenly feeling nervous.

"How did you know?"

Ryouta frowned. "That's a hard question, Aominecchi," he said slowly. "Because I think people fall in love in different ways. Like... for me... it was impossible to not know. Like, the day I met them, it was like my world shifted all at once." Ryouta laughed. "It sounds girly, doesn't it? But this person, to me... they made me believe in destiny, in things like love at first sight and the red thread of fate. Why do you want to know?"

Aomine had a puzzled look on his face. "I don't know if I've ever been in love," he admitted. "I guess I figured since you passed up opportunities to be with two really hot people, you would know how to tell."

Aomine's logic doesn't really make sense, but that's just Aomine all around. "Do you think you might love someone, Aominecchi?" Ryouta's heart felt like it was going to collapse in his chest.

"Hmm." Aomine glanced at him. "I'm not sure," he said slowly. "But I think I know a way to find out."

Aomine stood up, and held out a hand to Ryouta. The gesture was so familiar it made Ryouta's heart ache as he took it.

Aomine pulled him up, and into his body. Ryouta felt them collide with a thud, and _oh god what is going on_.

He was staring. He knew he was staring, and yet he couldn't stop himself. His heart was pounding wildly, and it felt like there was something lodged in his throat. He was so very intimately close with Aomine, and that seemed to be the _intention_, because there was a very powerful arm curled around his body keeping him close.

"Aominecchi." His voice quavered almost pathetically. Too close, too close he was _too close_—

And then there was a gentle, rough-skinned hand on his face, tipping his head up just a little bit because they really weren't that far apart in height and then there was just sensation as his breath hitched and eyes closed and he was being _kissed_, Aomine _was kissing him oh god oh god_.

_And it was a really nice kiss too_, he thought, dazed, as it ended. Aomine looked worried as Ryouta stared.

"Kise? Say something."

Why did he look so worried? Ryouta curled his hand around Aomine's neck to pull him back down again, and was mildly relieved when he could feel Aomine's mouth curving into a smile against his lips.

"That was nice," Ryouta mumbled when they parted. Aomine has a hand on his lower back and a hand in his hair and a pleased, calm expression on his face.

Aomine holds him close and tight, but careful, as if he is precious. It's a good feeling, being so close to each other. His head has gone to rest on Aomine's shoulder.

Although, it's a little bit gross. They _are_ both covered in sweat.

"Kise."

Ryouta blinks and looks up. "Aominecchi?"

"You _are_ in love with _me_, right?" It's strange to hear the hesitancy in his voice. Aomine is usually so sure about everything.

Ryouta thinks he likes hearing that note in his voice, knowing that he's the reason it's there. It's probably kind of terrible, but he's lived with the weight of these feelings for Aomine for _years_ and been sure he'd never, ever get what he wanted, and if Aomine can experience just a fraction of that, then he's okay with that too.

Even still, he smiles at Aomine and puts him out of his misery. Aomine's arms have tightened around him, as if that will somehow change the answer if he's wrong.

"Of course I am, idiot," he breathes. "Who else could it have been?"

"I dunno, I could have been Tetsu," Aomine starts. Ryouta is already bored with the direction this is going in, so decides to shut him up with a kiss.

"Don't say such stupid things," he says when this kiss ends.

"So." There's that annoying smirk. "I changed your world, did I?"

Oh _god_. He's going to be _insufferable_.

"So," Ryouta answers, "you're in love with me too, right?"

Aomine is so _adorable_ when he's all embarrassed and red. It's kind of fantastic. Ryouta can't help the giddy feelings in his stomach. Aomine hasn't actually _said_ he's in love with him, but... _you can trust Dai-chan_, she had said.

Clearly, Momoi has been holding out on him. Ryouta should yell at her for that later – as if she _didn't_ know her best friend was in love. Ryouta will eat his entire _wardrobe_ before Momoi can't make such a simple deduction.

God, he's been a bit simple too, hasn't he? Those odd looks, spanning all the way back to his injury last year, the gentle way he'd helped Ryouta back to his house and the way Aomine had made him take his bed (but only after he changed the sheets) that night and slept on the couch instead, and the way he'd looked when he'd said _I'll be watching_, when Ryouta was disappointed when Kagawa had continually failed to make an appearance at his games. The way he'd never once referred to Kagawa by his name, always calling him _that guy_, the way he'd said _he wasn't good enough for you_.

Aomine shoved Ryouta's head to the side. "Maybe," he grumbled.

Ryouta smirked. "Are you still unsure?" he asked. He didn't wait for Aomine to answer before kissing him again, hard, pulling Aomine as close as he can get him.

"Okay, alright, I _am_," Aomine says, flustered, when Ryouta finally lets him free from the kiss. "We're outside in _broad daylight_, Kise, what the hell."

"You started it," Ryouta pointed out, though he works his way out from Aomine's arms and goes to fetch the basketball they'd been using anyway. He paused, and sent a sly smile over his shoulder.

"We can always fix that bit about being outside," he comments, casually. It's so _interesting_ to watch Aomine's reactions – his face has gone red so quickly. Ryouta wouldn't have guessed it of him, and laughs quietly.

"Come on, then," he says, grabbing one of his hands. "Let's go back to my place and shower."

* * *

So, despite that he's seen some girls, Aomine's still kind of adorably innocent in a way that Ryouta didn't really expect. He's not sure if it's because they're both boys, or if it's because Aomine is simply kind of pure underneath the image he projects, but whatever it is, Ryouta really enjoys it. Ryouta almost wants to tell Aomine to get in the shower with him, but there's time enough for that later. He'd really hate to rush things. Ryouta's not sure if he's ready to sleep with Aomine. He's loved him for so long, and it would mean so much, Ryouta's sure he'd become overwhelmed and cry or something equally embarrassing.

Instead, Ryouta busies himself in the kitchen, gathering together some snacks and water in glasses. He insisted that Aomine shower first, as the guest. Aomine's never been inside Ryouta's house before, though he's dropped him off here before.

Will Aomine get bored while he's in the shower? The thought occurs to Ryouta all too late – he can hear the water turning off in the bathroom.

Aomine's hair is still wet as he leans in the doorframe and looks at Ryouta.

"Ah, I got some water and snacks," Ryouta says. "I can't really cook so."

Aomine nods.

"Which one's your room?" he asks.

"Oh! I'll show you," Ryouta answers. "The other rooms are my parents and sisters' rooms, and it wouldn't do for you to accidentally go in there..."

Guiding Aomine down the hall, he opened the door to his room. "This one's mine. I'd tell you not to touch anything, but the request would probably be lost on you, eh, Aominecchi?"

Aomine shrugged, and flopped down on his bed. _Oh_. He looked way too good there.

"I guess I should have known you'd just take a nap," Ryouta mumbled, smiling despite himself. He fished out a spare pair of clothes to change into after showering.

"Probably," Aomine agreed.

Ryouta paused to take in the sight of Aomine sprawled out on his bed. He'd closed his eyes already, and knowing him, was probably already half way to being lightly asleep. When he rested, his face lost some of the severity it held, and the softness that Ryouta could remember from before Aomine spiralled into darkness re-appeared.

Ah, he really wants to kiss him when he looks like that.

_Well, why not?_

Before he can lose his nerve, he takes the few steps needed to be next to Aomine and kisses his cheek, before leaving the room, feeling his cheeks burn. Ryouta's not sure why it's so _embarrassing_, since they already kissed earlier. Maybe it's because it's all so new.

Ryouta spends most of his shower worrying about whether if he gets out too quickly, Aomine will think he rushed, or if Aomine will be grumpy if he takes too long, and trying to stop feeling like his face is on fire because he kissed Aomine's cheek. They're silly things to worry over, Ryouta _knows_, but he can't move past the feeling that everything that happens _means_ something, means _too much_, and what happens if he does something wrong? What if Aomine breaks up with him?

Ryouta's pretty sure he's been ruined for everyone else since the fateful Aomine Event, and today's kiss just seems to have rammed that knowledge into the forefront of his brain where he can no longer hide from it.

Still, it'd be rude to leave Aomine alone for too long, so he finished his shower and gets dressed before returning to his room, towelling off his hair as he goes.

Aomine looked over as he came in, and Ryouta couldn't help the blush that crept back on his face. Instead of looking at Aomine, he busied himself by going to pick up Aomine's towel from where he'd dropped it on the floor.

"You're such a boy sometimes, Aominecchi," he mumbled. "The dirty things go in _there_, I'm sure you saw it..."

"I did," his voice said, and a hand reached out quickly and latched onto Ryouta's arm, pulling to topple him down onto the bed. Ryouta couldn't help the squeak that escaped as he found himself sprawled over Aomine.

"Aominecchi! That was unnecessary!"

"But I wanted to."

Ryouta let his forehead drop onto Aomine's shoulder.

"You know, I really love you, Aominecchi," he mumbled into his shirt.

Aomine didn't say anything, but his hands came to rest on the back of Ryouta's head and his lower back.

"You're not allowed to leave me," he added, "because you've ruined me."

He felt Aomine's body jerk in a huff of laughter; and the hand on his head moved, and tipped his face up and he was drawn into a kiss.

"I can't promise we won't break up," Aomine said slowly after he broke the kiss, "because I'm terrible at this whole relationship crap. But I don't want to see you with anyone else. No one else can understand you like I do." Aomine's grip on him was tight, and he pulled Ryouta up into another kiss, this one fiercer than the gentle kisses that they'd exchanged before. "You're mine," he breathed.

Ryouta's going to have to ask Momoi for a translation of this particular sentiment, because he's pretty sure there's a message there that he's missing. Still, he decided, that's enough serious discussion for now. There's time enough for that later, and so Ryouta slid his hands up to curl in Aomine's hair and slides up on his body a little to level their faces and kiss him hard.

It's probably a super terrible idea to make out on his bed, but Ryouta _really_ doesn't care because _he's making out with Aomine on his bed_, and Aomine's being rather tentative about where he touches and its heart wrenchingly sweet. Aomine's lips are dry and a little rough and it's somehow so boyish and charming and of _course_ Aomine's lips would be like that.

As the kisses slow down a little, Ryouta pulled back and smiled down at Aomine.

"I'm hungry," he announced, and disentangled himself from Aomine, who made a petulant face, but didn't disagree. Ryouta swipes his phone as they head back out to where Ryouta left the snacks earlier, and mails Momoi.

'_You're absolutely terrible, Momocchi_,' he sends.

'_I'm very happy for you and Dai-chan,_' she responds.

"Stop mailing Satsuki and come over here," Aomine complained from where he'd thrown himself on the couch. "I've had to wait all summer to kiss you; you should be starting to pay me for my patience."

Ryouta smiled and put his phone down.


End file.
